Transcript Understanding HPV

Teens and
Sexually
Transmitted
Diseases
Lisa Wehr
Family Planning Plus of SUN & MJ Counties
(570) 523-3462
[email protected]
How Common Are STDs?
There are at least 19 million new cases of STDs in the
United States each year. About half of these occur among
youth ages 15 to 24.
There are at least 65 million Americans living with an
incurable sexually transmitted disease at any given time.
Almost 4 million teenagers get some type of sexually
transmitted disease each year. That’s roughly 8,000 every
day, and 6 every minute.
How Do You Get an STD?
You can get sexually transmitted diseases by coming
into contact with someone who is already infected.
This includes:
•
•
•
Having anal, vaginal or oral sex
Having close intimate contact (skin to skin genital
contact)
Coming into contact with someone else’s blood
And to a lesser degree:
• Kissing
• Sharing certain inanimate objects
Other Risk Factors
•
Multiple lifetime sexual partners – the more
partners, the greater the risk
•
Length of relationship – the less you know about a
sexual partner, the greater the risk
•
Substance use - mixing use of drugs and alcohol
with sexual decision making is never a good idea
Common Symptoms
D
Discharge – unusual color, texture,
amount, odor
R
Rashes or redness – in genital area or
on torso/soles of feet/palms of hands
I
Itching and irritation in the genital
area
P
Pain – burning with urination, pain
with intercourse, pelvic/scrotal pain
S
Sores, bumps, blisters, warts
Most Common STDs
in Teens
Human Papilloma Virus
Chlamydia
Trichomoniasis
Genital Herpes
Viral STDs
Are incurable, but treatable, and include…
Human Papilloma Virus – HPV
Herpes Simplex Virus – HSV-1 & HSV-2
Hepatitis B and C – HBV & HCV
Human Immune Deficiency Virus - HIV
Human Papilloma Virus
HPV is by far the most common viral STD. HPV lives in
the skin and the mucus membranes and is passed through
all types of sexual contact, including skin-to-skin genital
contact.
•
There are an estimated 6.2 million new cases of
Genital HPV every year – 4.6 million of these are
among youth under 25.
•
At any given time, there are approximately 20
million people infected with HPV in the United
States.
•
It is estimated that at least 50% of people will have
some type of HPV at some point in their lives.
•
HPV is a group of well over 100 different wart
viruses. About 40 of them are sexually transmitted.
•
Some are considered low risk – these types can
cause genital warts.
•
Some are considered high risk – these can cause
abnormal cellular changes that can lead to
cervical cancer, and to a lesser extent, cancers of
the throat, penis, vulva, vagina, and anus.
•
Most people who have HPV have no signs or symptoms
and don’t know they have it. However, they are still
capable of transmitting it to others.
•
Most people get rid of the virus on their own (without
treatment) within a few years.
•
However, some people get persistent strains that do
not go away. These persistent strains can cause:
 Genital warts that can multiply and recur
after treatment
 Cervical cancer and other cancers
How Do You Know if You Have It?
Unfortunately, there is currently no screening test for
HPV. However, HPV can be diagnosed when…
•
A physical examination shows presence of visual
genital warts – this is the only way to diagnose
HPV in men.
•
A woman’s pap test comes back abnormal. A
follow-up HPV digene test can be done to see if
she has one of the high-risk types.
Genital Warts Look Like…
What’s Gardasil™?
Gardasil™ is the new HPV vaccine that protects against the
four most common types of HPV. These types cause 70% of
all cervical cancer cases and 90% of genital warts.
It has been approved for girls and young women 9-26 years
of age. It is ideally given to girls, 11-12 years old, before
they engage in type of sexual activity.
It is given in a series of three injections with the second
and third injections given 2 and 6 months after the first.
Some Other Important Points
•
You can have multiple types of HPV at the
same time.
•
Regardless of immunization status, regular pap
tests are still extremely important.
•
Abnormal pap tests should always be followed
up – be sure to follow your health care
professional’s recommendations.
Genital Herpes
•
Caused by both HSV-1 and HSV-2.
•
Extremely common, but more commonly diagnosed
in 20-40 year olds than teens.
•
One in five Americans are infected – approximately
45 million are living with the virus – 4 million of
whom are youth.
•
There are an estimated 1 - 1.5 million new cases
every year.
About Genital Herpes
•
Like HPV, Genital herpes lives in the skin and mucus
membranes and can be passed by all types of sexual
contact, including skin-to-skin genital contact.
•
Studies have shown that up to 70% of transmission
occurs between outbreaks when there are no symptoms.
This is due to asymptomatic viral shedding.
•
Diagnosed by visual inspection, lesion specimen, or
blood test.
•
Symptoms include itching or tingling at the outbreak site,
blisters, sores, scabbing. Some people have very minor
symptoms during outbreaks and have no idea they are
infected.
•
Most people have 3-5 outbreaks per year; outbreaks
become less frequent with time.
•
Outbreaks can be treated with oral medication or ointment.
•
Daily suppressive therapy is also an option – decreases the
number and severity of outbreaks, and reduces the risk of
transmission.
Genital Herpes Looks Like…
Hepatitis C
•
Both HBV and HCV are viruses that can attack and
destroy the liver – can lead to liver failure and death.
•
Hepatitis B immunizations are required for schoolaged children; there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.
•
Hepatitis C is mainly passed by blood to blood
contact, but can be passed through sexual contact
when blood is involved.
•
There are about 26,000 new infections each year,
and 3.5 million chronically infected. It can take
10-40 years to progress to serious liver problems.
HIV/AIDS
• AIDS is caused by HIV which is spread through contact
with infected blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast
milk.
• There are approximately 55,000 new cases of HIV each
year, and about 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS.
•
HIV attacks the immune system, eventually leaving the
body vulnerable to disease. AIDS has caused more than
25 million deaths worldwide.
•
Antiretroviral medications are expensive, but can
greatly prolong one’s lifespan, and improve quality of
life.
Bacterial STDs
Bacterial STDs are curable with antibiotics. The three
most common are:
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Chlamydia
•
Most commonly reported bacterial STD – 3 million
new cases each year.
•
AKA “the silent STD” since 75% of women and
50% of men have no symptoms. When symptoms
are present, they include discharge, burning with
urination, and vaginal or urethral irritation.
•
Left untreated, it can cause painful infections of the
reproductive organs and can lead to infertility/sterility
in both sexes.
•
Diagnosed by cervical smear, urethral smear, or urine
specimen.
Gonorrhea
•
Not quite as common as chlamydia – 700,000 new cases
reported each year.
•
Symptoms include discharge, burning with urination,
irritation at vaginal/urethra opening. Symptoms more
commonly occur with gonorrhea than they do with
chlamydia, but are still sometimes absent in women.
As with chlamydia, untreated gonorrhea can result in
infertility/sterility.
•
Diagnosed by cervical smear, urethral smear, and
urine test.
•
Drug-resistant strains are increasing, and successful
treatment is becoming more difficult.
Syphilis
•
Least common bacterial STD of the three – 32,000
cases reported each year.
•
Transmission occurs through direct contact with a
syphilis sore called a chancre.
•
Syphilis is diagnosed by examining a chancre
specimen with a special dark-field microscope or by
blood test, and is treated with injections of
penicillin.
Syphilis: 3 Stages of Symptoms
•
Primary – a chancre (painless sore) appears at the site
of infection – can go away by itself without
treatment.
•
Secondary – rough red or reddish-brown rashes can
appear on the trunk of the body and/or on the soles
of the feet and the palms of the hands – can go
away by itself.
•
Latent – can spread to other organs in the body via
the blood stream, causing irreparable damage and
even death.
Syphilis Looks Like…
Parasitic Infections
Parasitic infections are also curable. The most
common include:
Trichomoniasis
Pubic Lice
Trichomoniasis
•
Trich is the most commonly diagnosed curable STD in
women – approximately 7 million cases per year.
•
In women, symptoms include a frothy, yellow-greenish
discharge with a strong odor and vaginal irritation,
itching, and swelling. Men rarely have symptoms, but
may notice a slight irritation at the urethral opening.
•
Diagnosed by vaginal or urethral smear and curable
with antibiotics (Flagyl/Metronidazole).
Pubic Lice
•
Also known as “crabs,” pubic lice are six-legged creatures
that prefer the pubic hair, but can migrate to other areas
like eyelashes, underarms, chest hair, etc.
•
In most cases, pubic lice are transmitted by close sexual
contact, but they can also be spread through infected
clothing, towels, and bedding.
•
The most common symptoms are itchiness, redness,
and irritation. Scratching can help lice to spread.
•
Curable with over- the-counter lotions and shampoos.
Pubic Lice and Trich Look Like…
In General, STDs…
•
Can be passed from pregnant woman to fetus/infant
through the placenta (syphilis, HIV), during childbirth, or
in some cases, after delivery during breastfeeding (HIV).
In the newborn, STIs can cause many different problems
from being born too early to brain damage to death.
•
Can come back after treatment if you are re-exposed.
•
Can be life-changing. If you are diagnosed with an
incurable STD like HIV or Genital Herpes, you have the
responsibility to inform any potential sexual partners
before you have sex.
Prevention/Risk Reduction
•
•
•
•
•
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Practice sexual abstinence – avoid all genital contact with
a partner.
Engage in alternative ways to release sexual tension.
Practice sexual monogamy – have only one partner who
has no other intimate partners.
Limit or reduce your number of sexual partners.
Use condoms and/or glyde dams for all sexual acts.
Obtain vaccines, when available.